๐ In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful
๐ Since being born and raised in Saudi Arabia, I never had an actual non-Muslim friend or acquaintance who I was close to. In one of the international schools I studied, I had a Russian classmate who wasn't Muslim that time. I recall an incident when I went inside our classroom I greeted my Arab classmates then upon reaching her my instant reaction was to simply pat her head and smile, because back then I thought that handshakes are only allowed between Muslims of the same gender. However I gave her a reluctant handshake when she confronted me saying 'Mariam! You shook all of their hands but you just patted me on the head? I'm not a puppy.'
Still ignorantly having some wrong assumptions, when we moved to the Philippines, in the beginning I behaved distant and aloof towards non-Muslims in general. So one time I had a petty argument with my husband when he wanted to offer some drinks and biscuits to the laborers (construction workers) who were hired to work for us. I told my husband we didn't need to give them any snacks since they're not even Muslims. He said they're humans and we should be kind enough to feed them. That's one of the reasons why I love him for Allah's sake, he has taught me to be more tolerant and understanding. Alhamdulillah the more we learn from our mistakes and by observing others' positive actions, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, the more we can apply our lessons learned and deal with others more tactfully so genuine seekers of truth would be more interested in learning about Islam. The beloved Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam will always be the best example for us to follow, especially since he was a mercy sent from Allah the Almighty to all of mankind.
If a non-Muslim greets us with the salaam, we respond with "wa alaikum" meaning "and to you" instead of giving them no response. After receiving our items and paying at the cashier's counter, we can say 'thank you' or 'salamat' rather than walking away without saying a single word. If one of the staff kindly assisted you in carrying your goods and calling for a taxi, give them a tip, even 15 or 20 pesos, with Allah's Will, can soften their hearts and make them view Muslims in general more positively. When traveling by plane and it so happens your seatmate is a non-Muslim, start a friendly chat with them until you open a dialogue, not debate, about an introduction to Islam. If you encounter non-Muslim beggars on the streets, give them some money or something they can eat. If you have extra money, tell the shopkeeper or taxi/pedicab driver to keep the change. Not many of them earn sufficient salary to help their needy families, so that additional payment you offer can bring a smile to their face. Some of them may want to research on Islam after being impressed by your generosity. Good manners in Islam aren't exclusive for those believers whom we like, but it's treating everyone as fairly as we can, even with those whom we may dislike. Showing others respect doesn't oblige us to agree with all of their ideologies, but we demonstrate respect by respecting ourselves enough to maintain good ethics, staying away from behaving like tyrannical bullies who act rude when overcome by envy or feelings of insecurity.
As Muslims Alhamdulillah, if some of us can't conduct Islamic seminars and religious classes regularly, the least we could do is to do Da'wah indirectly through striving to maintain noble manners taught by the noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam who dealt with everyone he met wisely and mercifully.
~•~
๐ Anas Ibn Malik RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "The believer is one who is trusted by the people. The Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe (not guilty of backbiting, telling lies, and deliberately committing injustice). The emigrant (muhaajir) is one who emigrates away from evil. By the One (Allah the Almighty) in Whose Hand is my soul, a servant will not enter Paradise if his neighbor is not secure from his harm."
Source: Sahih Ibn Hibbān 515
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Arna'ut
